Quinn vetoes bill to restrict FOIA requests

Gov. Pat Quinn Friday vetoed a bill that government watchdog groups said would weaken the state’s open records law.

Quinn vetoed House Bill 3796 that supporters said was intended to help municipalities deal with situations where people file large numbers of requests under the Freedom of Information Act.

However, opponents like the Better Government Association said the bill imposed excessive fees to obtain information electronically and restricted the ability of individuals to get information about government.

Quinn agreed.

“House Bill 3796 is a bill that reduces government transparency by limiting the ability of citizens to seek public records under the Freedom of Information Act,” Quinn wrote in his veto message. “The bill as proposed would make it more difficult for citizens to obtain a large volume of records. It would also slow down the process for individuals who lack electronic means to request or obtain information. Such burdens on the public penalize anyone seeking to learn more about their government.”

Lawmakers could try to override Quinn’s veto later this year. The bill passed both the House and Senate by veto-proof majorities.

Municipalities complained that dealing with voluminous FOIA requests from some individuals took staff away from other duties. The BGA, though, questioned how widespread the problem actually is.